1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wildlife age determination. In particular, to a field tool for quickly and easily determining the age of a deer.
2. Description of Related Art
Age determination of white-tailed deer is essential to any wildlife or land management program. Biologists, ranch owners, land managers, and hunters all have an interest in determining the age of deer.
It is a common misconception that for bucks, i.e., male deer, the age of the deer can be determined based upon antler size. Another common misconception is that the age of a buck can be determined by the number of “points” on the antlers. These misconceptions do not hold true because other variables, such as genetics and habitat nutrition quality, can affect the size of the deer, the size of its antlers, and the number of points on the antlers. Scientific and biological data clearly indicate that neither the size of a deer's antlers, nor the number of points on the antlers, in any way correspond to the age of the deer, and cannot be used to accurately age the deer.
On the other hand, one proven method for determining the age of a deer is based on the number and appearance of the deer's teeth. For example, a newborn fawn will only have front teeth, i.e., incisors, and no premolars or molars. As a young deer ages, it develops premolars and molars along each jaw. However, some of these premolars and molars are only temporary teeth that fall out and are replaced at a certain age. According to this deer aging method, after all of a deer's teeth have emerged, the age of the deer may be determined based upon specific wear patterns in the deer's premolars and molars. Various types and amounts of wear are prevalent at different times in the deer's life. It has been found that these wear patterns are quite consistent among deer, regardless of the different habitats and environmental conditions in which the deer live.
The only safe way of checking a deer's teeth is after the animal has been tranquilized or harvested. However, even assuming an animal's teeth can be safely inspected, only a highly trained expert such as a wildlife biologist can typically age a deer based on the appearance of teeth. It takes years of practice and a keen eye to recognize the telltale wear patterns that indicate a deer's age.
At least one field tool has been developed to assist the untrained person in determining the age of a deer. One such tool, which is shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, is the “Pocket Deer Aging Tool” available from Wildlife Enterprises of Kerrville, Tex. This tool consists of a series of laminated cards that show two-dimensional, shaded pictures of deer teeth at various stages in a deer's life. The pictures illustrate different wear patterns, and also use shading to indicate the location and amount of dentine on the teeth of a deer at a particular age. While somewhat instructive, this deer aging tool is very difficult to use because the two-dimensional picture of a deer's teeth is limited in the amount of detail it can display. Another problem with this device is that the cards are printed on two sides, and to view the cards for successive years, the user must flip the set of cards back and forth. This makes it very difficult to compare fine distinctions between the photographs for successive years. Thus, the tool of FIGS. 14A and 14B is better suited as a reminder for biologists and other deer experts about the wear patterns of a deer's teeth.
Another product that relates to the aging characteristics of a deer's teeth is a decorative plaque that displays several simulated deer jaws, each representing a different age of a deer. Such plaques are also available from Wildlife Enterprises of Kerrville, Tex. These decorative plaques include simulated deer jaws mounted on a wooden board for display in a game room or hunting lodge. The deer's age and a short description of the wear patterns at that particular age are listed below each simulated deer jaw. One significant problem with such plaques is that they are decorative and instructional in nature and not designed or suitable for transport into the field for gauging the age of freshly harvested deer. However, the main problem with these plaques is that the wear patterns of the dentine are simply brushed onto the teeth with stain and do not form an accurate representation of the wear pattern of the teeth. Furthermore, because the simulated deer jaws are mounted to a wooden board, it is impossible to hold each jaw immediately adjacent a deer's teeth for direct comparison of the wear patterns.
Thus, the main problems presented by existing aging tools is that the tools are more educational than they are practical. While a collection of two-dimensional pictures can serve as a reminder to a trained eye, an unskilled hunter or land owner would find it difficult or impossible to determine the age of a deer by comparing the deer's teeth to two-dimensional laminated cards. With respect to the deer aging plaque, the device serves as an informative teaching tool or decorative conversation piece, but is not configured to allow close-up, in-field comparison with a deer's actual teeth.
Therefore, although the foregoing devices do represent attempts to educate the public about methods of aging deer, many shortcomings remain in the area of deer aging tools.